Fevered Heat
by dancingthroughlifee
Summary: When Kate Beckett gets sick, who will take care of her? The ruggedly handsome Richard Castle of course!
1. Chapter 1

Cold. No, freezing was more like it.

That's what Kate Beckett immediately thought when she woke up. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand. The bright red numbers read 3:43 am.

Beckett shivered and pulled the covers up around her body. She noticed her throat felt a little sore and her nose was stuffed up. "_Ugh, I hope I'm not getting sick…" _Beckett thought to herself as she drifted back to sleep.

It seemed as soon as she shut her eyes, her cell phone was ringing. It was Gates, calling to tell her there was a body in Central Park. After she hung up, she glanced at her clock, surprised it was already 6:45 am.

Beckett sniffled and realized nose was still congested. She grabbed a tissue off of her nightstand and blew her nose and then tossed the used tissue in the trash can next to her bed.

Kate got dressed and opted for a warm sweater, since she was still feeling pretty cold. She lazily threw her curly hair into a ponytail, not having the energy to style it. Looking in the mirror, Kate cringed at the appearance of her reddening nose, so she decided to put some foundation on to try and cover it.

She went into her living room and turned the thermostat in her apartment up to 75 degrees. She texted Castle about the body and grabbed a granola bar from her kitchen.

Before she left though, she searched her medicine cabinet for anything that might help the cold she knew she was getting. All she found was some expired aspirin and some Tums, both of which weren't very helpful.

She sighed and decided she would just try not and notice the soreness in her throat and her runny nose. Kate grabbed some extra tissues and stuffed them in her coat pocket and headed out the door.

Castle got the text from Beckett to meet her on the south side of Central Park. It was a dreary, wet October morning and according to the weatherman, it was supposed to rain the rest of the week.

At the crime scene, Castle got out of his car carrying two cups of coffee. He looked around and saw Beckett also getting out of her car.

"Good morning Detective," Castle said brightly as he approached Kate. He handed her one of the coffees he brought.

"Grande skim latté with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla." He knew it was her favorite.

"Thanks, Castle. I could use a pick-me-up this morning."

But as Castle was handing her the drink, Beckett held up a finger and swiftly turned away from him. She sneezed into the crook of her elbow.

"Bless you." Castle said suspiciously.

"Thanks," Beckett said as she reached for her coffee back from Castle. Castle was staring at her, and she suddenly felt a little self-conscious. She pushed a ringlet of hair that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear.

"What, Castle? You've never seem anyone sneeze before?" She said sarcastically.

"Not you, at least, Beckett. Are you feeling alright?" Castle asked gently.

He eyed the detective more closely. He noticed she looked more tired than usual, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes lacked their usual sparkle, and she was dressed in a sweater and a thick jacket, despite the temperature being only about fifty degrees.

"Relax, Castle. I just sneezed. I'm not sick." Despite this statement, Beckett let out a rattling cough into the back of her hand.

"Yeah, that sounds _real_ convincing…"

Beckett ignored him and just rolled her eyes. As they approached the body, Esposito and Ryan met up with them.

"Female. Mid 20s. It looked like she was shot multiple times. She didn't have any ID on her at the time of the murder, so we have uniforms canvassing the area for any form of identification." Ryan told Beckett.

"I'm going to check around the area for the murder weapon."

Beckett and Castle walked away from the body and towards the bridge that was close to the sidewalk.

"Hey, I think I found something." Beckett pointed to a crack in the sidewalk where a shell casing was resting.

"This must have been from the perp's gun." Beckett picked up shell with her gloved hand and carefully placed it into an evidence bag.

"Let's collect anything else we can find, and then we should head back to the precinct. It's getting to wet out here," she told the uniforms who were also canvassing the area. Beckett was happy for an excuse to get out of the rain.

"We should get back to the precinct," Kate told Castle.

"Okay, I'll meet you there, Detective," Castle said as he got back into his car. He saw Beckett walking to her car and noticed she was coughing harshly again. She looked like she was furiously trying to rub her hands together to keep warm.

On the drive to the precinct, Castle decided to stop at a drugstore and pick up some cold medicine for Beckett. Castle knew if Beckett really was sick, she probably wasn't taking care of herself properly.

He couldn't explain the protectiveness he felt towards Beckett, but he always felt he needed to care for her and make sure she was okay, even though she was the cop and he was the writer.

Castle knew Kate would need _someone_ to look after her if she was sick.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys! Okay, so I know I officially deserve the Worst Updater Ever award. I promise the other chapters won't take as long as this one did! Thanks to everyone who added the story to their favorites and alerts and to those who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)_

* * *

Back at the precinct, Beckett was at her desk looking through pictures of the crime scene. She noticed the young women had been wearing a fancy dress, with lace sleeves and a floral pattern. She also had been wearing a wedding ring, despite looking fairly young.

Beckett sniffled again. She had already used up all of the tissues she had brought from her apartment this morning. She looked around her desk and the surrounding desks for any signs of some other tissues. After pathetically wiping her nose on her sweater sleeve, she eventually decided to head to the ladies room and just use some paper towels. That turned out to be a poor alternative, making Kate's nose even redder than it had already been. Looking at herself in the mirror, Beckett cringed at her appearance for the second time that day.

Kate trudged back to her desk and sat down. She curiously looked around for Castle, wondering why it was taking him so long to get back to the precinct.

Meanwhile, Castle had stopped at a drug store and picked up some cold medicine and cherry flavored cough drops for Kate. He also decided to grab another coffee for himself and some hot tea for Beckett at the coffee shop across from the precinct. When Castle finally arrived at the precinct, he got off the elevator and walked towards Kate's desk. He saw her scrolling through some documents on her computer. He set his bag from the drugstore and the coffee cup on her desk. Beckett looked up at him.

"What took you so- What is all this?" She asked as she suspiciously watched Castle take the items out of the bag.

"Dayquil, cough medicine, and cough drops. Cherry flavored." Castle added with a wink.

Beckett narrowed her eyes and looked up at Castle.

"Castle. I told you. I'm fine." She said exasperatedly.

"Beckett, trust me…" Castle said and began opening the Dayquil box for her. "Just take these, please? I promise they'll make you feel better."

Beckett rolled her eyes and was about to respond with something snarky when Esposito got off the elevator.

"We've got an ID for the vic. She's Jennifer Salisbury. She worked at an ad agency in Staten Island. She has a sister named Macy who lived a few blocks from the crime scene. We're bringing her in now."

Beckett stood up to take the files from Esposito. "That's great. Thanks." Beckett pinned up the picture of the victim on the murder board. Then she grabbed her coffee cup Castle had put on her desk earlier and took a sip.

She coughed and sputtered a little, "Castle, what the hell is this?"

"It's hot tea with lemon and honey. It's the classic sick person drink. Not that you're sick or anything," Castle flashed Beckett a smile.

Beckett rolled her eyes and was about to argue but decided against it once she felt a cough growing in her throat. She quickly took another sip of the tea Castle had brought her. She was surprised by the way the warm liquid helped to soothe her throat. Setting the cup down and suddenly feeling dizzy, Beckett slowly took a seat at her desk. She put her elbows on the desk and held her head in her hands, slowly massaging her temples, trying in vain to get her head to stop throbbing.

Castle looked concernedly at Kate who had suddenly turned even paler than she was before, if that was possible. He sat down in his usual chair next to her desk and scooted closer to her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," Castle whispered softly. "If you're really not feeling well I could take you home. No funny business. I'm sure Ryan and Esposito can hold down the fort for one day."

Beckett tried to tell Castle she was really fine, but she coughed instead, wincing as it hurt her throat. Castle handed her the tea and she took another sip of it.

"Castle, I honestly feel fine," Kate said finally, deciding she wasn't going to admit to Rick that she was sick. She set her tea back down. "I think I just have a cold, but it's nothing to worry about." She looked Castle in the eyes and tried to seem as convincing as possible.

Castle looked at her doubtingly, but Beckett's cell phone rang and she answered it, not allowing him to argue any further.

When Beckett hung up, she told Castle that when the uniforms went to talk to Macy, they had found her apartment ransacked, with no signs of Jennifer's sister. Beckett told Castle she wanted to check out the apartment herself.

Castle helped Beckett into her pea coat and followed her as she started walking towards the elevator.

"Beck-ett," Castle whined, "Come back…" He quickly followed her to the elevator. Once inside, Beckett pressed the down button, with Castle barley making it through the doors before they closed.

"Castle, seriously, I'm not in the mood." Even though she tried to hold it in, Beckett sneezed miserably.

"Bless you."

"Thanks," she mumbled, holding the back of her hand up to her runny nose.

Even with her coat on, she suddenly felt very cold in the chilly elevator shaft. She shivered and rubbed her hands together. Castle thought for a second and then boldly wrapped his arms around Kate's waist, hugging her close to his body. He expected her to pull away, but to his surprise she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. Beckett closed her eyes and mumbled into Castle's shoulder, "I lied. I feel like crap."

Castle hugged Kate closer and kissed the top of her head. He chuckled softly and said, "I know."


	3. Chapter 3

_See, I told you guys I would have this chapter up faster. :) Thank you so much for everyone that reviewed, you all are awesome! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

With Castle's arms wrapped around her, Beckett never wanted this moment to end. There was something about the warmth of his body and the way he smelled that made her feel so safe in his embrace. Kate Beckett couldn't deny the strong feelings she had for Richard Castle, and she knew her feelings weren't just coming from the fact she was sick.

"I'm sorry you don't feel well," Castle whispered gently while running his hand through the curls in Beckett's ponytail. "I'm going to take you home, okay?"

Beckett simply nodded into Castle's shoulder, mostly because she was too tired to protest. She suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue, and all she really wanted to do was curl up in her warm bed.

Castle gently released his arms from around Beckett's waist when the elevator dinged, leading her out of the elevator and through the precinct doors. When they got outside, Castle asked Beckett for her keys, and to his surprise she handed them over without an argument. When Castle started the car, Beckett immediately turned the heat on high. She tucked her legs underneath of her and rested her head against the car window.

Within literally five minutes, Beckett had fallen asleep. Once Castle was sure Beckett really was sleeping, he pulled out his phone and called Ryan.

"Hey dude, what's up?" Ryan said when he answered the phone.

"I just wanted to call and tell you that Kate's sick, and I'm taking her home." Castle glanced over at Beckett and saw that she stirred at the sound of her name, but I didn't wake up. "She was planning on checking out Macy's apartment, but I convinced her to go home and take the rest of the day off."

Ryan sounded skeptical, "How did you get her to agree to that?"

Castle laughed, "It wasn't that hard, actually."

"Okay Castle, let Beckett know we've got it covered here without her. And tell her I hope she feels better."

"Thanks Ryan." Castle hung up the phone just as he pulled up to Beckett's apartment. He parked the car, and looked over at the sleeping Beckett. He gently touched her shoulder.

"Hey, Kate, we're here," he whispered softly. He got out of the car and opened the passenger side door for her, helping her out of the car. Castle wrapped his arm around Beckett's waist as they made their way into her building.

When they finally reached Beckett's apartment, Kate unlocked the door, kicked off her shoes, and immediately headed to the couch to lie down. She grabbed the fleece blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her body. Laying her head down on one of her fluffy throw pillows, she shut her eyes tight and wished her head would stop throbbing.

"Thanks for giving me a ride home, Castle," Beckett mumbled tiredly without opening her eyes. "Could you just turn off lights before you leave, please? It's so bright in here..." Beckett's voice wavered and she coughed, causing her to rub her throat in pain.

"That's a good one, detective. Very funny."

Castle looked at Beckett lying pathetically on the couch. He noticed her cheeks no longer looked pale, but flushed, presumably with fever. His heart ached in sympathy when he saw her nose was red, her hair was a mess, and she was shaking even underneath the blanket. Castle smiled when he noticed the blanket had little pink bunnies on it. He was definitely going to have to joke Beckett about that when she was feeling better.

Beckett squinted and looked confusedly up at Castle from her position on the couch. He was looking down at her with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"You really don't think I'm just going to leave you all by yourself when you're sick, do you?"

Beckett sighed. "Castle, I'm alright. I'm just going to get some rest and sleep it off. You really don't have to stay," she mumbled into the pillow.

Castle knelt down next to Beckett and brushed some hair out of her face, happy when he saw her smile at his touch.

"Of course I do," He said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Castle got up and dimmed the lights in the living room and closed the curtains. He got a box of tissues off the kitchen counter and placed it on the coffee table next to Beckett. He also grabbed the Dayquil box he had stuffed in his coat pocket before they left the precinct. He offered the pills again to Beckett with a bottle of water, and she gladly accepted them this time. He left some of the cherry cough drops next to the bottle of water, in case she wanted them later.

Beckett reached over to the tissue box and grabbed a tissue. She blew her nose, but it didn't seem to make her head any less congested. She sighed and rubbed her nose.

"Can I get you anything else?" Castle asked, "Like some tea or something to eat?"

Curling back up under the blanket, Beckett mumbled sleepily, "Yes please."

"How about some chicken noodle soup?"

"Mhm-hmm." Beckett couldn't muster up the strength to say anything else. Walking towards the kitchen, he heard Beckett hoarsely whisper, "Rick?"

Castle turned back around concernedly, "Yeah, Kate?"

"Thanks," she quietly whispered.

He looked back and smiled at the woman he loved so dearly.

"Always."

* * *

_I feel like this could be a good ending, but if you guys want more, I have some ideas for other chapters. Tell me what you think and please please please review! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

I found some more inspiration for this story, so I figured I'd continue. :) I hope you like it and please review! Your reviews seriously make my day!

* * *

When Castle went to make Beckett's soup, he found her refrigerator and pantry to be extremely pathetic. Her fridge was filled with Styrofoam boxes, Chinese takeout, and a few normal necessaries like eggs and milk. Her pantry mostly consisted of a box of Fruit Loops, some granola bars, and a package of chocolate Poptarts. Looking in the breadbox, he cringed and threw out the moldy bread. Castle sighed. Kate was definitely a strong, independent woman, but Castle seriously needed to teach her how to go grocery shopping. Thankfully after some searching, he was able to find a can of chicken broth and some bow-tie pasta, which would have to do for now.

Back in the living room, Beckett was still lying on the couch. Sniffling, Kate quickly grabbed a tissue and sneezed twice. When she reached for another tissue, she noticed the cough drops Castle had left for her. They were red and had little cherries on the wrappers. Beckett smiled at the memory of Castle telling her she smelled like cherries and popped one of the cough drops in her mouth. Her phone vibrated on the table, and she saw she had a new text from Lanie.

**Hey girl, I heard from Havi that you're sick! Why didn't you call me? Are you okay? Do you need anything?**

Beckett sighed and pressed reply. She loved her best friend, but she could definitely overreact sometimes.

**Thanks Lanie, but I just have a bad head cold or something. I'll be fine.**

After hitting send, Beckett got an almost instantaneous reply.

**Don't try to pretend you're fine with me, missy! What are your symptoms? Do you want me to stop by later?**

Kate smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen, and her stomach growled. She shifted positions on the couch before replying back to Lanie.

**Okay fine...I have a sore throat, my head hurts, and I'm really congested... But it's okay, you don't have to come over. Castle's here and he's making me some soup. **

_Damn._ Beckett immediately regretted saying that as soon as she hit send. Within seconds Lanie replied.

**WRITER BOY'S THERE? And he's making you soup? Dayummm girl get it onnnn! But seriously though, make sure you drink lots of fluids and try to get some rest. That is, if Castle doesn't distract you too much. ;)**

Beckett rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but laugh. Beckett didn't notice Castle who was walking out of the kitchen carrying a tray with tea, soup, and a small flower in a vase.

"What are you giggling about?" Castle asked while setting the tray down on the coffee table in front of Beckett. She quickly hit the lock button on her phone.

"Nothing." Beckett's voice sounded hoarse, and she tried to clear her throat with no success.

"Uh-huh. Sure," Castle said knowingly. He heard Beckett's stomach growl loudly again. "Please tell me this isn't going to be the only food you've had all day."

"Of course not. I had a granola bar on the way to work," she said in a strained whisper, accepting the fact her voice was now basically nonexistent. Castle gave her a look. "Okay fine, I only ate half of it because it hurt my throat," she admitted quietly.

"Oh Beckett, what would you do without me?" Castle asked playfully, before kissing Kate's fevered forehead again.

Kate smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Even if she pretended not to believe it, she knew having Castle around was good for her. If he hadn't been at the precinct today, she knew she would have never even thought about leaving early. Beckett didn't get sick often, but when she did, it would always last awhile because she never looked after herself properly. Beckett remembered getting really sick during the winter of 2008, the year before Castle started shadowing her. She had somehow gotten bronchitis, which turned into a nasty case of walking pneumonia that lasted almost an entire month. Seeing she was clearly miserable and feigning health, Ryan and Esposito bugged Beckett for weeks before she finally went to see a doctor. Kate ended up having to take a whole week off in order to shake the pneumonia and finally get better.

Castle joined Beckett on the couch and helped her sit up. He put the tray with the soup on her lap and handed her the spoon. Kate thanked Castle and started eating right away.

When she was done eating, she placed the empty soup bowl back on the table along with the tray. "Thanks Castle, that was delicious."

"No problem." Castle scooted over and made room on the couch for Beckett to lie back down, this time with her head resting in his lap. "But just a little heads up, on your next day off, I'm taking you grocery shopping. That's a sad excuse for a kitchen. Chocolate Poptarts? Seriously?"

"Shut up," Beckett mumbled, her head resting comfortably on his chest. Castle chuckled.

After lying in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Beckett lifted her head off of Castle's lap. "Hey, I'm going to take a quick shower and change into something more comfortable." She peeled off the blanket and stood up a little too quickly. She immediately regretted it and winced, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Castle saw her sway and quickly stood up to help her.

"Woah, woah, woah..." Castle said, worried she was going to fall over or pass out. Kate shakily tried to steady herself with Castle's arm. He carefully walked with Beckett to her bedroom and led her to her bed to sit down and rest. Kate broke out into a coughing fit, and Castle sat next to her and gently rubbed circles on her back. When the fit finally subsided, Beckett rubbed her chest in pain.

"Ouch..." she mumbled.

"Do you want me to start a shower for you? The steam should help clear your congestion." Castle was looking at Beckett, who was still rubbing her chest.

"That would be nice," she whispered hoarsely.

Castle went into the bathroom that was connected to Beckett's bedroom. He started a warm shower and walked back over to Beckett, who was still sitting on the bed, wiping her nose with a tissue from her nightstand. Castle helped her up, and she hobbled over to the bathroom, grabbing some pajamas on the way there.

"Thanks, I can take it from here, Castle." Beckett had an arm on the bathroom's doorframe for support.

"Okay, but I'll wait out here for you. Just call out if you need me."

Beckett nodded and shut the door, leaving it cracked slightly.

While Beckett was in the shower, Castle looked around her bedroom. He noticed her bed wasn't made and her sheets were wrinkly. He made the bed and fluffed up the pillows. Castle also saw there were some clothes thrown on the floor and some used tissues on her nightstand, so he put the clothes in the laundry basket and threw the tissues in the trash can.

When Beckett finally emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing black cropped yoga pants and a Stanford sweatshirt. Her wet hair was already starting to curl, and even though she was sick, Castle thought she looked adorable. He was lying on Beckett's bed, and he patted the blankets next to him, inviting her to join him.

Beckett crawled into bed and buried herself deep in the covers. "Thanks for everything you've done, Rick. It's okay if you have to leave, I'm sure you have better things to do then be around a sick person all day."

Castle scooted closer to Beckett and got under the covers with her. He spooned up against her, and she tucked her head underneath his chin. The faint smell of cherries on Beckett's damp hair made Castle's heart flutter. "You know there's nowhere else I'd rather be." After only a few minutes, Castle heard Beckett's breathing steady, and he knew she was asleep. He remembered he left his phone in the living room, and he wanted to text Alexis and tell her he might be awhile. He slowly started to get off of the bed, but he felt a small hand grasp his wrist. "Stay," she whispered.

Castle smiled and got back into bed with Beckett. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere."

He thought she had fallen asleep again, but after a few seconds, he heard her faintly whisper, "Good."


	5. Chapter 5

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was really fun to write! :)

* * *

Beckett woke up the next morning to the sun shining brightly through her window. She was relived when she remembered it was Saturday. Earlier that week, Gates had told her to take the weekend off, since she had worked for almost two weeks straight without a break.

Fortunately after sleeping for so long, Beckett no longer felt as crappy as she did the day before. She still felt congested and had the same nagging cough, but she didn't feel completely exhausted and her headache had finally gone away.

Rolling over, Beckett was a little disappointed when she saw the other side of the bed was vacant. She figured Castle must have gone home last night after she had fallen asleep. Grabbing a tissue and glancing at the clock, she saw it was already past ten. Next to the clock, Beckett saw a small white piece of paper.

_Kate,_

_I hope you're feeling better. I wish I didn't have to leave, but I have a book signing this morning, and then I have to have lunch with Gina. Ick. Alexis and I are having taco night today. If you're feeling up to it, we'd love for you to join us. I might even let you wear my sombrero._

_Call me if you need anything,_

_-Rick_

Kate blushed and read the note again, realizing Castle must have actually spent the night with her. Thinking back to the night before, she remembered how Castle had snuggled up with her. Beckett wished she didn't always have to get so emotional and clingy when she was sick. She put the note back on the nightstand and dragged herself out of bed, putting on some fuzzy socks. She made her way to the kitchen to make some tea, contemplating Castle's dinner invitation.

While Beckett was waiting for the water to boil, she had a sudden urge to sneeze. Realizing there were no tissues within her reach, she sneezed into her forearm and reluctantly wiped her nose on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. She sighed and promised herself she would do the laundry today.

Pouring the hot water from the kettle into her cup, Beckett heard a knock on her front door. Not knowing who to expect, Beckett was surprised and glad when she opened the door and saw Lanie. However, the look her friend was giving her probably meant even though she was feeling a little better, she still looked ill.

"Hey Lanie, what are you doing here?" Beckett asked, her voice sounding scratchy. She turned away from Lanie and coughed.

"Oh, honey," Lanie said sympathetically. She looked concernedly at Kate, who was still in her pajamas and sounded like she was coughing up a lung. Lanie stepped through the door and closed it behind her. "I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were okay."

Beckett slumped down on one of the stools she had in her kitchen and stirred her tea. "I feel better than I did yesterday, so I guess that's good." She coughed again and took a sip of her tea.

"And that nasty cough you got going on?" Lanie sat down on one of the stools across from Kate. She reached in her purse and pulled out a thermometer.

Beckett shrugged her shoulders. "It sounds worse than it is."

"Mmm-hmm. Sure it does." Lanie handed the thermometer to Beckett, and she reluctantly put it under her tongue. When it beeped, Lanie took it out of Kate's mouth and read, "99.2. That's hardly a fever, but your temperature is still a little higher than I'd like."

Beckett rolled her eyes, and Lanie pulled out a tongue depressor and a tiny flashlight from her bag. "Stick out your tongue."

Kate sighed. "Lanie, is this really necessary?" Lanie gave her a look, and Beckett grudgingly stuck her tongue out.

After some more poking and prodding, Lanie finally came to a conclusion. "I'm almost positive you have a sinus infection, which means antibiotics aren't going to help. I have some over the counter cough medicine you might want to take, though." Lanie went through her bag and pulled out a reddish bottle and handed it to Kate.

"Thanks." Kate was pouring the gooey liquid into a little serving cup when she asked, "Hey Lanie, I'm not contagious, right?"

Lanie flashed Kate a smile. "You and Castle weren't swapping spit yesterday, were you? And now you're worried you might have gotten him sick? Where is he by the way?"

Beckett downed the cough syrup and grimaced at the taste. "He left this morning to go to a book signing." Beckett got off the stool to grab the box of tissues from living room and then sat back down in the kitchen. "Yes, he spent the night." Beckett saw Lanie's eyes widen. "And no, nothing happened."

"Girl… I will never understand how you two don't go insane dancing around your feelings the way you do."

"What do you mean?" Beckett took a tissue and sneezed.

"Bless you. And honey, you know exactly what I mean," Lanie said gently. "You know, most men would run the other way if they find out a girl's sick, but not Castle. He decides he wants to spend the night with you and make sure you're alright. It's because he has feelings for you, whether you acknowledge them or not."

Beckett thought back to yesterday. "He was actually really sweet to me yesterday," she started telling Lanie. "He bought me some medicine, took me home, and even cleaned up my room a little while I was in the shower."

Lanie looked at Beckett and nodded. "Exactly my point, sweetie."

"Anyway, I actually wanted to know if I was contagious because Castle invited me to have tacos at his place tonight." Kate put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "What should I do, Lanie?"

"Sinus infections aren't contagious, so you don't need to worry about that. But to be honest, you really should be resting. Not being all love-y dove-y with Castle over some tacos."

Kate narrowed her eyes at Lanie and sighed.

Lanie laughed at Kate's lack of denial. She gently nudged Kate on the shoulder. "Girl, I'm just saying!"

After chatting with Kate for a couple of hours, Lanie finally had to leave. After she left, Beckett realized she felt a little worn out. She decided to actually take Lanie's advice and get some rest. Climbing into her bed again, Kate turned on her TV and drifted to sleep. When she woke up, she realized it was already five.

She saw Castle's note on the nightstand again and actually considered going over to his apartment for dinner. She almost convinced herself to go, but finally decided against it. Even though she wasn't contagious, Kate thought it would be rude if she came to Rick's apartment for dinner and was coughing and sneezing all over the place.

When she finally picked up her phone to call Castle, he picked up on the second ring. "Hello, Kate? I getting worried because I hadn't heard from you all day. How are you?"

Beckett's heart began to beat a little faster, and she twirled her hair around her finger. "Hey Rick, I feel better actually. Lanie came over today and told me I just have a sinus infection, so you don't have to worry about getting sick."

"Oh please Beckett, I never get sick anyway," Castle said jokingly. "Do you feel up to having dinner with us tonight?" Beckett could hear the excitement in his voice.

"I don't know Castle…I really don't want to impose. Thanks for the invite though." Kate could tell Castle was disappointed, but she promised they would do it another time.

About an hour later, Beckett realized she was hungry. She was in the middle of pouring herself some cereal when she hear a knock on the door. When she swung the door open, she saw Castle and Alexis wearing sombreros and holding grocery bags.

Castle was grinning ear to ear. "We figured we'd just bring the tacos to you."

* * *

Mwahaha there's a cliffhanger for you! Don't forget to review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Here's the moment you all have been waiting for... The final chapter! I went a little overboard, so this chapter is a little longer than the others. I'm sad that this story is over, but I really had a great time writing it. I love reading your reviews, and I sincerely appreciate everyone who has taken time to read this story. I hope you enjoy this last bit! :)

* * *

"Castle?" Beckett said bewilderedly.

The way she said his name came out a little harsher than she had meant it to. It was just the fact that she was still in her pajamas, and she definitely wasn't expecting company. Her apartment was a bit of a mess to say the least.

"Sorry detective Beckett," Alexis said apologetically. "I told my dad he should have called first."

However, the hurt look on Castle's face made her quickly regret being annoyed. She suddenly felt touched by his sweet gesture.

"No, no, don't worry about," Kate said, her turn to sound apologetic. "I just wasn't expecting anyone, that's all. Do you guys want to come in?"

"Sure!" Castle said, immediately perking back up to his usual self. Kate opened the door wider, allowing Castle and Alexis to make their way into her apartment.

"Sorry about the mess." In the kitchen, Beckett cleared the mugs she and Lanie had used earlier that day. She also threw away the piles of tissues that had accumulated on the counter.

Alexis smiled. "If you think this is messy, you should have seen our apartment after Gram and I were gone for a weekend. My dad had the house to himself, and it was a complete disaster area."

Kate laughed, "I'm sure it was."

"Hey!" Castle said defensively.

While Alexis was unpacking the food they had brought over, Castle looked at Beckett and gently touched her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"I really am feeling bett…" Kate's breath hitched and she turned away from Rick to sneeze.

Castle looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah, sure Beckett, whatever you say," he said jokingly.

"Hey, you're not allowed to mock me," she said, poking him in the chest. "You're the one who just showed up at my apartment unannounced…"

Castle stepped closer to Kate and held a finger to her lips, shushing her. He brushed some hair out of her face, and he let his hand linger on her cheek. They both smiled softly and held each other's gaze for a few seconds. Castle couldn't help but notice the height difference between them when she wasn't wearing her ridiculous heels.

Unfortunately, the moment was interrupted when Beckett had to sneeze again, barely turning away from Castle in time.

"Bless you." Castle handed her a tissue.

Beckett tried to blow her nose as inaudibly as possible, without much success. She rubbed her eyes wearily. Castle noticed that despite her trying to pretend she was fine, she still seemed tired and under the weather.

"Come on," he said, grabbing Kate's wrist and dragging her towards the couch. She sat down and Castle draped the fleece bunny blanket over her. "Since you're obviously still sick, you can just relax while Alexis and I take care of the food."

She sighed, "Castle-"

"Nope, no arguments. You just rest." He slowly backed up towards the kitchen, making sure she didn't try to get up.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Don't worry, we've got it covered," Alexis reassured Kate, while opening a box of taco shells.

"You don't need help finding any dishes?"

"Really Beckett, we've got it all under control." Castle chuckled at how stubborn she could be.

"Okay, fine."

Beckett accepted the defeat and snuggled up tighter into the blanket. She took this time to observe Castle and Alexis from the couch. They were both laughing and racing each other to see who could grate the cheese faster. She always thought Castle's relationship with Alexis was so sweet.

A couple minutes later, Rick brought small bowls of salsa, cheese, ground beef, and diced tomatoes to the coffee table and set them out buffet style. Alexis set down the plates and taco shells, and she handed Beckett a plate. Beckett made room for Alexis to sit next to her on the couch, and Castle took a seat in one of the armchairs.

"This looks great." Beckett admired the assortment of delicious looking taco fixings. She was always pleasantly surprised at Castle's cooking ability, and she happily helped herself to two tacos.

While they were enjoying their dinner, Kate couldn't help but think how normal this all felt; the three of them just sitting and talking over dinner. She definitely felt grateful that Alexis and Castle had decided to come over. It was nice to have some company, and if they hadn't have shown up, Beckett would have just been eating cold cereal for dinner.

When everyone had finished eating, Alexis sadly announced she had to go, since she had promised Paige she would stop by her party.

"Aww," Castle whined. "But we haven't even had dessert yet."

"Sorry dad," Alexis stood up and gave her dad a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Bye detective Beckett," Alexis surprised Kate by giving her a tight hug. "I hope you feel better."

Beckett smiled, "Thanks, Alexis. It was nice to see you."

"Have fun at the party, and don't do anything I would do," Castle added as Alexis was putting on her coat.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. See you at home, dad." She waved and shut the door behind her.

"She's such a great kid," Beckett remarked.

Castle nodded and smiled. "I know. I'm so lucky."

"I honestly don't know where she gets it from." Beckett smiled at Castle.

"Very funny."

"So did I hear something about dessert?"

"Oh, right." Castle jumped up and went to the refrigerator. He pulled out a small casserole dish, grabbed two spoons, and returned to the living room. He sat down next to Beckett on the couch. She instinctively scooted closer to him.

"It's dirt pudding. I made it myself."

Kate suspiciously raised an eyebrow at him. "Dirt pudding?"

"It's just chocolate pudding and whipped cream, with crumbled Oreos and gummy worms." Castle handed her a spoon. "Try it," he encouraged.

"Are we just eating it straight out of the dish? Shouldn't we get some plates or something?"

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." He flashed her a quick smile. "I've gotten used to Beckett cooties."

Kate sniffled and just rolled her eyes. "Just try it, please?" Castle took her spoon and got a dollop of the dessert and handed it to her, and she reluctantly tasted it.

"Mmm, this is really good, Rick." Beckett was pleasantly surprised once again by Castle's culinary ability. She took another spoonful before passing the dish back to him.

Castle beamed and got a spoonful for himself. "I knew you'd like it."

After about twenty minutes, the pair had managed to eat the entire dessert. Once they had finished, Castle glanced at his watch and saw that it was already past nine.

"Thanks for coming over today, Castle. It was really sweet of you, and the food was great." Beckett snuggled up closer to Castle and let him wrap his arm around her.

"You're welcome, and I'm glad you liked it."

Castle felt Kate's head rest on his shoulder, and he could tell she was fighting to stay awake. She let out a yawn, which turned into a hacking cough. Castle offered her some water.

"I should probably get going and let you go to bed," Castle said, slowly removing his arm from around her.

"That's probably a good idea. Thanks again for everything." Beckett stood up and walked with Castle towards the front door.

"It was my pleasure. Do you need anything before I leave?"

She shook her head no. "Goodnight Rick."

"Goodnight Kate."

They both lingered in the doorway, both wanting to confess how they felt about each other, but neither knowing how to say it. Instead, they just looked into each other's eyes yearningly, connecting with each other without having to speak. After a few moments, Castle, feeling confident in his ability to read what Beckett was thinking, leaned in closer to her. Their lips were only inches apart when Beckett suddenly backed up and held up her hand.

"Rick, I'm still sick." She wiped her nose on her sleeve and cleared her throat. "You don't want to do this right now, trust me."

Castle wanted to tell Kate that even though she was sick, he still thought she was as gorgeous and sexy as ever, but he decided not to push it. "How about a rain check," he whispered and kissed her forehead instead.

"I'll hold you to it," she whispered back.

* * *

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Ryan and Esposito were surprised when they saw Beckett walk into the precinct with a spring in her step. She was definitely looking better than she was on Friday.

"Good morning," Beckett greeted Esposito and Ryan cheerfully.

"Hey Beckett," Ryan said.

"It looks like someone's feeling better," Esposito smirked. "Is writer boy to thank for your speedy recovery?"

"Shut up, Espo," Beckett said with a smile.

A few minutes later, Castle walked into the precinct. He had his usual two coffees, one for him and one for Beckett. He sat down next to Beckett in his usual chair.

"Hey," she said softly, not able to hide her growing smile.

"You seem better." Castle was glad to see that Beckett no longer looked pale and tired. Instead, she was glowing and looked well rested. He couldn't help but return her smile.

"I feel so much better," she said, her face still glowing.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Castle handed Beckett her usual coffee cup, but she noticed there was something different about it. Instead of the usual brown sleeve on the coffee cup, he had replaced it with a different one. Looking at it closer, Beckett realized the sleeve was covered in little pink bunnies.

* * *

I hope that wasn't too cheesy for you! :) Thanks so much for everyone that read this story all the way through. It was my first ever published story, and I really appreciate all the kind comments I received about it. You guys are awesome!


End file.
